COMSAT offers Iridium Certus to US DoD, government and commercial users

Herndon, VA, 19 February 2019 – With the final satellite in place linking the much-anticipated Iridium Certus NEXT constellation together, COMSAT now offers this powerful new service to aero, land-mobile, IoT and maritime users. In addition, the U.S.-based satellite connectivity business is the exclusive service provider for Air Force Space Command’s (AFSPACE) Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) program. The advanced multi-service Certus platform supports critical connectivity needs regardless of location, terrain, and weather. Significantly the COMSAT Certus service also enables military, government and enterprise users to transmit classified or sensitive information, using the highly secure and reliable voice and data low earth orbit satellite communications network.

Users of COMSAT’s Iridium Certus are supported by a 24/7 Network Operations Center and customer care, always managed by cleared, award-winning staff in the United States. Customers also have access to value added services such as COMSAT Zone®, a sophisticated online SIM card account management portal giving service providers the capability to activate/deactivate, manage usage, set up alerts and monitors for SIM cards. In addition, COMSAT IRIS®, designed to be a secure portal, serves as a complete online account management tool enabling government and commercial end users the ability to access near real-time user account information 24-hours a day. Both COMSAT Zone® and COMSAT IRIS® are supported by a free web- based tool accessed through a simple point-and-click interface and menu. Customers can purchase additional hardware, SIM cards and airtime through the DISA Storefront, the U.S. government’s General Service Administration agency, or via COMSAT directly via www.satcomstore.com.

“Certus, accessed through COMSAT, offers much more than inherent Communications Security (ComSec) and seamless global coverage for military and enterprise customers. From the single network platform, we can now connect aero, land-mobile, IoT and maritime uses securely, and more cost effectively from anywhere in the world, including the extremities of the poles. This enhanced communication improves final mission critical success in dynamic environments and significantly enhances commercial opportunities,” said COMSAT President David Greenhill.

Satcom Direct (SD), an affiliate of COMSAT, is also an Iridium Aero Market Certus Value-Added Reseller and will provide the new service to the business aviation market in 2020. SD Avionics, the hardware division of SD, has been appointed as a Value-Added Manufacturer for Iridium Certus and is currently developing an aero terminal scheduled for release in 2020.

COMSAT, Inc. is a leading operator of customized, secure end-to-end satellite communications services. We deliver a full portfolio of fixed satellite solutions (C-Band, Ku-Band, Ka-Band, X-Band and UHF) and mobile satellite solutions (Inmarsat, Thuraya and Iridium) to aeronautical, land-mobile and maritime users in multiple markets, including U.S. government and military, global governments, educational institutions and commercial maritime. COMSAT owns and operates two teleports located in Southbury, CT and Santa Paula, CA that provide various communications and data center services to commercial, government and educational institutions worldwide including end-to-end connectivity, co-location and research efforts, critical data backup and recovery, satellite and terrestrial network data center, cloud and cybersecurity services.